Rock Candy Funk Party knows how to do the math : The supergroup consisting of de Tal Bergman (drums), Joe Bonamassa (guitars), Renato Neto (keyboards), Mike Merritt (bass) et Ron De Jesus (guitar) named its third album The Grooove³ –or The Grooove Cubed. Funk/rock to the max with 14 new tracks arguably to superior Groove Is King, released in 2015 ! The band is still expert at blending instrumental funk with other genres (jazz-fusion in « In The Groove », Blaxploitation mood in « Mr. Space », the downtempo and dusky « After Hours ») and has a great taste for imaginary soundtracks and spectacular mash-ups when « Funk-o-potamia » and « The Token Ballad » mix Led Zeppelin with prog-rock thanks to keyboardist Renato Neto, a former Prince band member.
In The Grooove³ , Rock Candy Funk Party adds a new ingredient to his groovy gumbo : singer Ty Taylor (Vintage Trouble) shines on the catchy single « Don’t Even Try It » while Mahalia Barnes delivers a great and imaginative update of James Brown’s “I Got the Feelin’”. This third album also ends with a surprising twist with the swinging « Ping Pong ». And how can you not like a band who names its tracks « This Tune Should Run for President » and « Two Guys and Stanley Kubrick Walk into a Jazz Bar » ?
Jacques Trémolin
Rock Candy Funk Party The Grooove³ ****(Mascot Records). Available October 20 on CD, double-LP and digital version.
